Walking In Love
by ericaoutloud
Summary: T. Dasey. Casey and Derek take late night/early morning walks during the summer. Getting to know each other opens up a lot of feelings. Summary sucks. Has potential, I swear! Lol
1. Chapter 1

Hey! So plot bunnies pop into my head all the time, I just never get them out of my head! Lol. But I was at work bored and this story sort of came into my head. It's short and fluffy and will only be a few chapters, but I still think it's okay. I hope you all like it and that my writing doesn't suck too bad. I do not own LWD or any of the characters. This is strictly for creative fun :)

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Derek softly slid his window close, for he had just snuck back in from a party. It was the third week of summer, and he had become a pro at sneaking back into the house. Although it was summer, he had gotten himself in trouble the week before. He was grounded for two weeks, which thankfully was almost up.

Letting out a breath, Derek turned around and looked at his dark room. It was messy, as usual. He walked over to his bed, looking at the disheveled blanket. Before he was going to sit down, he heard a door slowly open. Listening carefully, he realized it was Casey's door and immediately perked up. _What was Casey doing up so late?_ Derek waiting for her to get to the bottom of the stairs before quietly opening his door and following her down the steps.

After slipping out the back door, Casey put one ear bud in to listen to her music. She started down the street, just walking casually. Derek trailed behind her, curious as to where she was going. After following her for another 5 minutes, Derek got bored and began to pick up his pace. As soon as he did, Casey started to pick up her pace as well. She had no idea it was Derek following her, but she had no plans to stick around and find out.

Just before Derek was able to reach for her, Casey turned around and kicked him, _hard_, in a special area. Derek gasped for air and doubled over, holding his crotch in pain. Casey gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. Realizing what she just did, she crouched over Derek guiltily.

"Der-ek! Why were you following me? Way to scare the crap out of me jerk! I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Casey yelled. Derek just laid there, still, waiting for the pain to subside. They were currently by the park a few blocks down from there house. The park was still, quiet, and calm. It was around 3 in the morning after all. Finally sitting up, Derek turned and looked at Casey.

"Only you would insult me, then apologize and see if I'm okay. Thanks Princess." Derek shook his head and stood up. Casey followed his example and stood as well. Derek brushed off his jeans and then gave Casey a questioning look. "What are you doing out so late or early or whatever? By yourself, I might add." Casey shrugged her shoulders as she began to walk. Derek shook his head and started to walk with her.

"I couldn't sleep. Sometimes when I can't sleep, I go for a walk. I don't usually wake anyone up when i'm leaving." She responded, looking at Derek, who was looking at the ground. A guilty smile was painted on his face. "Heheh. I was actually just getting in. Kendra threw a great party." Derek smirked at that point. Casey rolled her eyes at him. "And you wonder why you're always in trouble. You do things like sneak out and go to parties."

It was Derek's turn to roll his eyes at Casey. "Says the one who jut snuck out of the house herself." Casey glared at him, but continued to say nothing as they kept walking. After a few minutes of silence, Derek sighed. "Where are we even going?" He asked. Casey shrugged her shoulders and looked around. "I don't know. I usually just kind of walk around until I'm tired. You are more than welcome to leave. I actually insist that you do." Casey smiled sweetly at Derek. He let out an amused laugh and looked at her.

"You want me to leave you to walk around, alone, at three in the morning? You're funny Princess." Derek shook his head, signature smirk on his face. Casey looked at Derek amused as well. "Aww. Does Derek care about my well-being?" She pinched him for added effect. Derek swatted her hand away, smirk dropping from his face. "Um. No. Dad and Nora would kill me if they knew I left you alone to be mugged or kidnapped. I'm almost done being grounded woman!" Casey rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Derek. "Suuure. Whatever you say Derek." She then giggled and kept walking. Derek felt a weird tingle in his stomach when he heard her laugh. Looking over at her and her small smile, the tingle grew stronger.

As they walked, they eventually started to talk about any and every thing. Everything except their romantic lives. Both didn't want to know about the others conquests. Especially Derek. He wasn't clueless or blind. He saw the way guys looked at Casey. He heard the way guys talked about Casey. It bugged him to no end. But what bugged him the most was that he couldn't agree with any of them. He couldn't talk about Casey like that, ever, to anyone. Not even his best friend. Because Derek Venturi didn't do feelings. Especially when said feelings were toward a certain annoying step-sister. Plus, it was forbidden...right?

Casey realized Derek wasn't listening to her at all and just stared at him for a moment. He looked lost in thought. What about, she couldn't guess. She hoped it wasn't a girl. Casey didn't know if she could handle that. For awhile now, Casey had been getting strange feelings every time she was around Derek. Feelings she didn't want to fully accept just yet. The feelings were wrong and against the rules...right? Derek hadn't brought any girls home recently. She hoped he hadn't found a girl, but the way things were looking, it was definitely a girl causing Derek's odd behavior. Casey sighed at that, looking down sadly. Derek snapped his fingers in front of Casey, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"What?" Casey asked, shaking her head. Derek rolled his eyes and stopped walking. Casey realized they were on the corner of two main streets, where a gas station was on one side, a diner on the other. "I said, want to stop and get some food?" Derek asked, pointing to the diner. It was almost five in the morning and only a few people were in the diner. Casey thought about it for a moment before the taste and smell of coffee took over her mind. Casey gave Derek a small smile and nodded her head. "Sure." She said sweetly.

The diner was warm, bright, and cozy. It had an old 50's theme to it, with a bright jukebox right at the front. Thousands of current and old songs were listed on the jukebox. The whole place smelled like coffee for the moment, preparing for the morning rush. Casey smiled looking around, her eyes falling on a waitress in a blue dress. She had grayish blonde hair and her eyes crinkled when she smiled. Derek smiled at her as well as she approached the two. "Booth or counter?" she asked politely. Derek shrugged his shoulder and Casey rolled her eyes. "A booth is just fine." She replied.

As Casey looked over the menu, Derek watched her. He wanted to know if Casey realized or even understood just how beautiful she was. The lighting in the diner made her glow with radiant beauty. All Derek wanted to do was stare at her, or kiss her. But both couldn't be done at the moment. So Derek decided to glare at the menu instead. After ordering chocolate chip pancakes and juice, the two settled in to light conversation, enjoying the songs coming on the jukebox.

A few stacks later and the sun was slowly starting to rise. Casey squinted her eyes, looking through the window. "Guess we should get back before our parents wake up, huh?" She said reluctantly. Either Derek was high off the pancakes or his ears were malfunctioning, because he could have sworn he heard disappointment in her voice. "S-sure." Derek answered , surprised by his feeling of disappointment as well.

The walk home was in a comfortable silence. Both were too wrapped up in their own thoughts. Derek couldn't stop thinking about Casey and how cool she actually was. He also couldn't shake the fact that he had a really good time with Casey, just hanging out and talking. It felt better than any party or drink. And Casey felt the same way. They soon arrived home and crept back into the house quietly, successfully avoiding waking their parents. As they got to their doors, Casey turned and looked at Derek.

"Well thanks for looking out for my well-being. I actually had a good time with you." She gave him a small smile. Derek's stomach flipped. He smirked at her too. "Yeah, well you're not that horrible to hang out with," He dropped his smirk. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill you." Derek kept the serious look on his face but then it turned into a small, genuine smile. Casey's heart sped up. They stood there, staring at each other, not moving or saying anything. Derek was getting lost in the blue waves of her eyes. Casey could feel warmth coming from Derek's chocolate eyes.

The sound of the coffee pot turning on broke their gaze. Casey blushed violently, looking away. Derek, too, flushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah. Well, goodnight." He said shyly. Casey nodded her head."Good morning Derek." She said quietly, tucking in to her room. After closing the door shut, Casey blew out a breath she didn't know she was holding and slowly slid down her door. Little did she know, Derek was on the other side of the wall doing the exact same thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

It was around midnight on a warm Tuesday night. The whole house was quiet, except for the upstairs residents. The teens were spending the night at friends houses, Marti was with her mother, and George and Nora were already off to bed. Casey was in her room, reading in the dim light by her bed. Her radio played very softly in the background. Looking up from her book, Casey could hear soft music also playing from the room next to hers. Derek was still up and Casey briefly wondered what he was doing. For the last few weeks, they had been going on late night walks together. It actually shocked and amazed Casey at how close they were now. She even dared to call Derek a friend.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back on her book. After having to reread the page twice, Casey sighed and put her book down. She looked over at the wall where Derek's room was on the other side. Casey internally fought with herself. She wanted to be around Derek but didn't want to seem eager to do so. She didn't know how Derek felt about their new relationship... friendship... whatever. About 5 more minutes went by before Casey stood up and grabbed her keys.

Derek lay in bed, staring at his posters. He couldn't get Casey off of his mind and his music shuffle was not helping at all. Dashboard Confessional. Brand New. Seahaven. They were all torturing him with their melodies. They were also torturing him with their lyrics. All thoughts led back to Casey and Derek knew he was in trouble. He didn't _do_ feelings, for anyone really. Only spots taken in his heart were for his family and Marti. But lately, Casey was worming her way in there, fighting for her own spot. With the way Derek was feeling, a very large spot was being invaded.

Since they started their late walks, Derek's feelings for Casey were significantly growing. And he couldn't deny that Casey and himself had become very close, friends even. They still fought, but it was becoming more playful. You could even say they would flirt. But Derek didn't want to get into that. Looking over at the wall that separated them, he wondered what Casey was currently doing. He knew she was still up, probably doing something very keener-like. Derek caught himself smiling at that thought and quickly shook his head. He wanted to be around her at the moment, but did not want to show it. Feeling anxious, he decided it was time for a walk. He slipped on his shoes and stood in front of his door. Suddenly, he heard a light knock and a smile formed on his face. He opened the door to see Casey standing there. She gave him a questioning eyebrow. "What took you so long?" He asked playfully.

Casey smiled, feeling the light, warm breeze on her skin. She was wearing a black tube top, denim shorts, and her hair fell onto her shoulders in natural curls. Her smile was infectious, because Derek couldn't help but smile himself. About 2 blocks away, they started to hear the thumping of a bass speaker. Casey looked over at Derek curiously. "What's that noise?" she asked innocently. Derek laughed and looked at her amused. "That's called a party, Princess. And I say we stop by." He smirked at her. Casey stopped where she was and gave him a look. "Really? We're already sneaking out. You want to add more punishment if we get caught? Just so you can make an appearance?" Casey huffed and crossed her arms. Derek swung his arm around her shoulder and smiled. "That's why we don't get caught." He then winked at her as he dragged her to the approaching house party. Casey just rolled her eyes, but decided to go with him to keep him out of trouble. She got a weird feeling of going into a party with Derek.

As soon as he entered, Derek was greeted by some hockey guys and a few cheerleaders. Casey stood off to the side awkwardly. She had been to a few parties with Max, but she always ended up hanging with Emily more than Max. Looking around, she didn't see anyone she personally knew. Walking into the kitchen, Casey saw Kendra over by the alcohol with a few other girls. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the girls. Kendra turned and gave her a surprised smile. "Casey! Sweetie, what are you doing here? I didn't know you went to parties." Casey smiled politely at her as Kendra introduced her to the other girls. One of the girls, Hannah, handed Casey a cup of fruit punch. Casey took it and looked at it curiously. "What is this?" she asked. Kendra giggled and took a sip of her own drink. "It's jungle juice. Basically fancy fruit punch." Kendra smirked a little as Casey took a swig. She smiled taking another huge sup. "This is so sweet and delicious!" Casey replied excitedly. Kendra laughed and dragged Casey with her and the rest of the girls.

Derek had lost track of Casey as soon as they got there. He figured she'd be okay, sitting on a couch somewhere. After numerous shots an a few beers, Derek set out to find Casey. He found her hanging at the bottom of the stairs with Kendra and her friends. He looked at her curiously, seeing she had a red cup in her hands. He also noticed a guy from the basketball team chatting her up. Something inside Derek boiled up and it did not mix good with all the alcohol. As he got closer he saw it was Jason Torres who was currently trying to flirt with Casey. He was the captain of the basketball team. He didn't know if it was the alcohol or the weird feelings inside of him, but whatever it was, it made him a little more bold. Walking over to Casey, he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. Casey giggled and put her arm around his back and clung to him.

"Hey Derek! Do you know Jason? This party is fun." she giggled up at him. Derek smirked at her, amused. He looked down at her drink and saw the red punch in her cup. He turned to Kendra. "How many cups has she had?" he asked. Kendra slightly shrugged her shoulders, not looking him in the eye. "I dunno. Maybe like 5 or 6. She really likes it." Kendra laughed a little. Derek rolled his eyes and turned back to Casey. She was still leaning into him and Derek subconsciously started rubbing her side. His heart was beating fast and the alcohol was effecting him more by the minute. Taking her drink, he chugged it down and put it to the side. "Come on Case. Time to go." he sighed. Casey pouted her lip and said bye to everyone. Jason gave Derek a weird look, but Derek only responded by pulling Casey closer to him.

The walk home was quiet. They were both drunk but stuck in their own heads. Derek was going crazy, not wanting his feelings to take over. Casey was not used to being drunk, so she was riding out the new feelings. Halfway through their walk, Casey looked down at their hands. They were holding hands and she didn't know when that had happened, or why she liked it so much. "I like holding your hand." she said quietly. Derek looked over at her to see her blushing a little bit. "I like hanging out with you a lot too." she added. Derek felt his stomach twist and flip. "Yeah. Well you're not too bad yourself, Case." He smiled at her, squeezing her hand. Casey smiled and continued to wobble next to him. Derek made small circles on her hand with his thumb.

As they approached their house, Casey began to tighten her grip on Derek. They walked up the steps, but before Derek could lead her inside, she pulled him toward the couch on the front porch. Slowly sitting down, their hands never let go. Casey looked at their hands and gave him a nervous smile. He moved closer to her so their knees were touching. The tension between them was starting to get to Casey. All these feelings were swirled inside of her. Her head and her heart were currently at war. Little did she know Derek was going through the same emotions. Old feelings they both thought they put away were coming to the surface. Along with an intense amount of new ones. Casey looked up at Derek shyly as he gave her a small smile back. Before he knew it, Derek was pushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. Casey tried to shake the tingles that ran through her body.

"Derek... what... is this? Between us. Right now." she asked quietly. Despite the alcohol still in her system, she was nervous. Derek could tell she was. He started to rub his thumb in circles on her hand again. "Case. I honestly don't know what to tell you." he replied. Casey looked at him, eyes slightly glazed. "I mean, I really like getting along with you. I like not fighting." She smiled at him again. Derek smiled back at her. "Me too Case. I really-" A light breeze suddenly blew past, making Casey shiver. Derek instantly pulled her closer. At that moment, they both looked into each other's eyes. Staring into her beautiful blue orbs, Derek could no longer control himself. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. Derek now understood the romantic films where fireworks exploded for the first kiss. Because fireworks were exploding inside of him. No kiss had ever felt as magical, intense, or as right as this kiss with Casey.

Derek assumed she would've backed away instantly and slapped him for misinterpreting the meaning of her words. But instead, she immediately kissed him back. Her lips were soft and sweet. They meshed perfectly with Derek's. His left hand made it's way to her side, pulling her closer to him. While his right hand made it's way to her neck. Casey's right hand pulled on the left side of his shirt. Their kisses weren't rushed, but they exploded with passion. After what felt like centuries, they pulled apart for air. Chests were heaving as they caught their breath. Casey slowly opened her eyes and looked into Derek's. There were so many emotions swimming through their eyes. At that moment, Casey couldn't be there anymore. She quickly shook her head, stood up, and rushed inside. Derek sat still. He couldn't believe what just happened. Or how much he wanted to do it again. All he could think about was the warm, sweet touch of her lips on his.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone! I know I am the worst at updating, but I haven't given up on my stories or creating new ones. I just recently moved, and along with school and work, things have been crazy hectic and stressful. Thank you so much for sticking with this story. And I promise I will try to get this updated sooner next time! I appreciate it. 3

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For Derek and Casey, it had been a successful three days of avoiding each other. Both would stay locked away in their rooms, and when they did come out, they were leaving the house. Derek went to play hockey in the morning. Casey went shopping or lounging by the pool with Emily in the afternoon. Each took turns missing dinner on different nights. Both were too nervous and scared to talk about or even face what happened. Casey was embarrassed for getting drunk and acting on her feelings. Derek was scared she hated him and didn't return his feelings.

Casey ached to see him. She missed talking to him, and joking with him, and just being around him. She also missed her nightly walks with him. She missed Derek, and she never thought she'd feel that way about him... _ever_. She wanted to hear him laugh or see his genuine smile. She wanted to tease him and talk about nonsense with him. She knew she had feelings for Derek, that she no longer could deny. The kiss they shared was the greatest kiss she'd ever had. But did he feel the same way? Or was it just all the alcohol they had? And even if it wasn't the alcohol, what did that kiss mean exactly? Casey's mind was on overdrive.

Tonight, it was Derek's turn to avoid Casey. He had decided to go to Sam's house for dinner that evening. No one else thought anything of it, but Casey knew better. As she set the table, she thought about whether she should keep avoiding Derek or just pretend nothing ever happened and go back to the way they were. But Casey didn't want to go back. She didn't want to feel negative things towards him. Her feelings were too big at this point to completely go back to the fighting and hating each other. So she decided more avoidance was in her future. As she finished up setting the table, Casey realized she had set a place for Derek without thinking about it. She sighed looking at the plate.

"Casey, sweetie, are you feeling alright?" Nora asked as she came out of the kitchen with a large salad bowl. Casey shook her head and looked at her mom. She hoped her face was neutral. The rest of the family started to appear at the dinner table. Casey shook her head a little.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Casey responded. She didn't trust herself to say anymore. Not talking about the situation was killing Casey, but she couldn't even begin to bring this issue up with Lizzie, let alone her mom. Nora nodded her head and looked at Casey once more. "Okay, honey. You've just seemed distant these last few days." A hint of worry was in her eyes. Casey looked down at the plat for Derek. She felt an ache in her chest for a quick moment before shaking her head.

"I-I just have a lot-" But before Casey could finish, the front door swung open and in walked Derek. He had a blank expression on his face but he didn't look at anyone as they all began to sit down at the dinner table. Casey's ache quickly turned into excitement. _Why was Derek home? What happened to Sam's?_ Casey thought to herself as she finished pouring the last drink on the table. Derek finally took his seat. Nora looked over at Casey again.

"Casey, you didn't tell us Derek was coming home. You had his place set already." Nora asked. Casey looked down and blushed as she took her seat. She didn't notice Derek looking at her. George decided to cut in on that moment. "Yeah. Why aren't you at Sam's place?" He asked. Everyone looked at Derek. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"There was an emergency. So I came home." Derek mumbled. Casey didn't quite believe the "Lord of the lies", but she wasn't going to call him out in front of everyone. Nora was about to say something when Marti cut in about her day with Dimi at the aquarium. Casey watched Derek for a moment. He had his chin resting in the palm of his hand as he shuffled his food around. Casey wondered what he was thinking about. She shuffled in her seat a little and her foot hit Derek's. She blushed a little as they made eye contact for a quick moment. Looking down, she continued to swirl her peas and mashed potatoes together.

After a few minutes, Casey felt a sock on her ankle. It started to rub her ankle up and down slowly. She looked up at Derek in surprise, but he was focused on Marti and her story. Casey blushed a little more, but slowly moved her other foot to rub his other ankle. She saw him smirk just a little while he asked Marti questions about what she learned. They continued this for awhile, not looking at each other, but enjoying the small, simple contact they missed so much. All too soon though, dinner was over.

Outwardly rolling her eyes but internally jumping for joy, Casey and Derek were picked to do dishes that night. Casey was on the right washing and dipping the dishes into the clean water to the left. Derek was then taking the clean dishes and drying them off. They did this process in silence, but Casey chose to enjoy the little things. Derek began to flick water at her. Casey quietly giggled as she flicked soapy water back at him. Soon a mini splash war was started. They laughed and giggled until all the dishes were clean and dry.

When they got to their rooms, Casey became very nervous. She still hadn't said a word to him and she didn't know what to do. They stood there, both blushing and smiling. Both didn't know what this meant, but both were holding back strong feelings. Casey finally decided to break the ice and say something, not caring how nervous she was.

"I missed you Derek." she quietly said. At that moment he looked at her. She locked eyes with him. The intensity in his stare made Casey blush and look down, tucking some hair behind her right ear. The way he was looking at her made her feel like mush. With Casey stating that she missed him, Derek could hold back no more. He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside his room. Shutting the door quickly, Derek backed her up against the door. Casey gasped a little before Derek pushed the hair behind her ear again and dipped down to meet her lips. She instantly kissed him back, missing the feel of his lips. And this time they were both completely sober.

Derek's mind was swirling with thoughts. He couldn't believe Casey was willingly kissing him back. This only happened in his wildest fantasies (_and yes, they involved Casey_). She snaked her hands up his chest and around his neck, while his hands gripped her waist intimately. The kisses weren't rushed or sloppy but full of emotion and passion. They both just wanted to get closer and closer. After some time, they finally pulled apart, only by a few inches. Chests were heaving as their eyes slowly opened. Casey's stomach was filled with butterflies. Derek cupped the side of her face and was about to say something, when Nora's voice boomed up the stairs.

"Derek! Can you come down here and help your father with something?!" she shouted. Derek blinked a few more times before he slowly let Casey go, opened his door, and headed down the stairs. Casey stood there in shock for a moment. She couldn't believe what just happened. Shaking her head, she slowly walked out of his room and into her own. Her mind was drowning in thoughts.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Derek laid in his bed, watching his ceiling fan go round and round. All he could think about was Casey. How beautiful she was. How great her laugh sounded. How she smelled like lavender and vanilla. How she was just as feisty and stubborn as he was. And how they had shared an amazing kiss, 100% sober. He was completely in love with the girl and he didn't know what to do. But she obviously felt the same, right? She did kiss him back. She didn't attempt to push him away at all.

Derek had missed her badly. He missed walking around with her and spending time with her. He missed talking for hours and teasing her about things. Derek had had feelings for her before, but now they were much much stronger and very much there. He couldn't deny them. But what would happen if his parents found out? His siblings? The people at school? They would think he was disgusting and wrong. They would think he was a pervert. But they weren't actually siblings. They didn't grow up together. They have completely different parents. They're not related, in that way. But what would their parents say? They were married and their kids were finally getting close. Just not in the way they expected.

Then Derek's mind went to earlier in the day. When he was at Sam's. Sam had bothered Derek until he snapped and confessed everything to him. He was his best friend after all. Sam had been silent for a moment before exhaling and saying finally. He had smirked at Derek and told him he knew since the stupid guy code incident. Derek punched him in the shoulder but felt relief. He could finally talk about Casey to someone. And he didn't feel judged at all.

Derek was talking about the drunk situation the other night and Sam told Derek to just tell Casey. Derek continued to fret and freak out. The discussion started to get heated and Sam ended up calling Derek a coward and an idiot. Derek flipped out on Sam and stormed out of his room. As he calmed down on his walk home, he thought about telling Casey his feelings. And how much she meant to him, consequences be damned. He got home planning to ignore her fully. Then he saw her at dinner and couldn't stand how beautiful she looked. She bumped his foot at dinner and he needed the contact. His excitement rose when she started to rub his ankle back. And their dish fight. He missed her so much in a matter of a few days. He was so in love with her and there was no turning back now.

When she had said she missed him. He crumbled. His heart exploded. And he needed to kiss her right then and there. The contact between them was thoroughly missed. He craved her in his arms and on his lips. No other girl felt quite this right and good to kiss or to hold. Derek knew he couldn't deny her anymore. He knew he couldn't go back to the way things were. No matter what the outcome, Derek needed to tell her how he felt. Derek Venturi did not give up a challenge!

Looking over at his clock, he saw the time read 1am. Sitting up, he put on a T-shirt and jeans and headed out of his door. Quietly, he walked to Casey's door and very lightly knocked. He hoped she was awake. Lightly knocking a second time, after a few seconds, Casey cracked the door open. Looking behind her for a brief moment, he could hear music coming from her laptop. Her journal was also cracked open with a pen stuck in the crease. Derek looked down at her face. Her eyes were swimming with emotion.

Derek cleared his throat. "Up for a walk? I need to talk to you." He looked down a bit, feeling uncomfortable. Casey watched him rub the back of his neck and the nervousness on his face. This was serious. She knew it had to do with them, but she didn't know if this was good or bad. She had been in her room, writing her feelings out, when Derek had knocked. She wasn't sure if her wishful thinking was coming true, but then he knocked a second time. Looking into his eyes at that moment, she decided it was now or never.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute. I'll meet you on the patio." Casey whispered. he gave him a small smile and closed her door. Derek exhaled and he tip-toed downstairs and slowly opened up the front door. Leaving it cracked, he sat down on the couch and looked up at the sky. Tonight was the night everything was going to change.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took so long. I'm terrible, I know. So much has been happening in my life. But I hope to get things back on track and get what I want out. This is the final chapter. I hope you guys liked the short story. I still love reading and writing fanfiction, so whenever I can get some out I will. Thank you for your patience and i'll see you around :P

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They walked in silence as the warm summer air swirled around them. Both were lost in thought trying to figure out where to begin or what to say. Casey badly wanted to spill her feelings and just let it all out. But her fear stopped her from doing so. Derek was stuck in the exact same boat. But he had decided tonight, things would change. Tonight, he'd gain the courage to tell her everything. How his feelings had changed. How much he cared about her. How much he wanted her and how much he _loved_ her. A car passed by, and Derek instinctively put his arm around Casey and pulled her to him. A jolt of electricity shot through their bodies at the contact.

Casey turned her head to look at him. He was looking straight forward but she could see the seriousness in his features. How did they get here? When had arguments and wrestling fights turned in to so much more. Looking passed Derek, she saw the neighborhood park and decided this would be a good place to stop and talk. Linking her hand with the hand on her shoulder, she pulled Derek forward a little leading him to the swing set area. Casey stopped by the swings, turning to face Derek with a small smile on her lips. Derek couldn't help but smile back with affection. It made Casey blush and get butterflies. They were still holding hands and Casey looked up at him.

"So you wanted to talk?" Casey asked shyly. She knew what they were going to talk about. She wasn't dumb. But she couldn't get herself to admit anything first. Derek's hand flew to the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously.

"We seem to be doing this thing where we kiss each other senseless. Not that I'm complaining though." he smirked, trying to gain some confidence before Casey could see how nervous he was. He started rubbing circles in her hand with his thumb. Casey felt a jolt again. She dropped their hands and walked over to a swing. She sat down and slowly started to push herself. Derek joined her soon after as they swung together in silence. Finally, Casey put her feet down and looked over at Derek.

"What is going on with us Derek? This is all so new and different for me. To feel this way… about you." Casey looked over at Derek. He moved back and forth slowly, staring at his feet. He felt his hands getting sweaty. A lump was forming in his throat. "We're having fun Princess. We're hanging out." He said slowly. He looked over at her from the corner of his eye. She looked slightly hurt at that and he closed his eyes. He heard her let out a large sigh.

"Having fun? Is that all I am to you? A little bit of fun or someone to hook up with. Is that how you really feel? Is that all you're thinking about between us? I'm just another knot-" Casey was interrupted by Derek shooting up. His swing moving back and forth as he turned to look at Casey. She an intensity she'd never seen before. His eyes were swimming with emotions, one she particularly couldn't identified. Derek also looked slightly angry.

"Damnit Casey. This is why I don't do talks. I don't do feelings. Someone always gets hurt and emotional. I don't like tears or heart to hearts. They're so mushy and gooey. And this is definitely why I don't fall in love, but here I am!" He snapped out. Casey's eyes got large. Derek put his head down and sat back on the swing again. He slowly started to push himself as Casey watched him. "Derek…" she quietly stated.

"Love makes you weak. And it makes me think about you all the time. And it makes me want to be around you all the time. It makes me want to hold you, and make you laugh, and kiss you. Being in love with you makes me want to do all these things I _don't_ do."

Casey's heart stopped. She stared at Derek as he continued to watch his shoes. _Love_? Derek loved her? Joy soon filled her heart. Any doubt or second thought she had washed away. Because regardless of what her mind was saying, her heart now knew the truth. Derek Venturi was in love with her, and she was without a doubt in love with him. Through all of their memories, fights, arguments, and walks, they managed to fall in love. She saw the real Derek and wanted every part of him to be hers. Standing up, Casey moved over to where Derek was. She carefully straddled his legs so that she was facing his as he sat on the swing. His eyes looked up to meet hers. Casey put her arms around his neck and smiled. Derek instantly had to smile back at her.

"I love you too." She said sweetly. Derek's smile got bigger and brighter. He shot up, holding Casey by her waist. She squeaked in surprise.

"How could you not?" Derek replied smugly. Casey giggled and went to slap his shoulder, but he caught her hand at the last second. They stared into each other's eyes before slowly leaning in, closing the small gap between them. Fireworks erupted again as they shared a kiss. Slow and full of passion, Casey could feel her heart getting ready to burst. Casey pulled Derek closer as he did the same to her. He began rubbing small circles with thumb on her waist as Casey sighed in content. They broke apart, chests rising and falling as they looked into each other's eyes. The moment was broken by Derek's stomach grumbling fiercely. They shared a laugh as Casey looked at him.

"Hungry?" Casey questioned. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, lacing his hand with hers as they began to walk away from the park. "I'm a healthy growing boy and you've worked up my appetite. They continued to walk, holding hands and sneaking kisses. Casey was on cloud 9. They eventually reached the diner they had become regulars at since beginning their walks. Opening the door, only 2 people were inside. The waitress, who they have come to learn was named Ruby, saw them and smiled. She waived them over and into a booth. Casey slid in first, followed by Derek. He instantly put his arm around her and she melted.

Ruby smiled at the two. "Well aren't you guys cozy tonight?" Derek looked over at Casey and smiled at her. Casey beamed and then looked over at Ruby. After taking their orders, Ruby went back to the kitchen. Soft music could be heard over the speakers. Casey sighed in content as she relaxed into Derek's arms. He began to snuggle her closer and Casey giggled.

"Does Derek Venturi like to cuddle?" she looked at him playfully. He smirked and kissed the top of her head. "Better get used to it, Princess." She smiled as he pecked her on the cheek.


End file.
